Every Indian Government ID Photo Spec in One Table

This government id photo specs comparison table lists passport, PAN, Aadhaar update, driving licence, and common exam rows side by side — shape, pixels, DPI, and KB — so one export does not get reused on the wrong portal.

Key takeaways

• Indian government id photo specs comparison table rows differ by shape first: passport and many exam forms use 35×45 mm rectangles; PAN uses operator-specific squares.
• NSDL PAN expects 213×213 px at 200 DPI; UTIITSL PAN expects 640×640 px at 600 DPI — the government id photo specs comparison table treats them as separate rows, not one "PAN size."
• Passport digital upload standard is 630×810 px at 300 DPI for 35×45 mm — the anchor row most other rectangular specs echo.
• Aadhaar update uploads often reuse passport dimensions when a JPG is accepted; enrolment centre capture has no pre-sized upload row.
• Driving licence portals vary by state RTO — verify live form before trusting any static government id photo specs comparison table cell.
• KB ceilings change faster than millimetre dimensions — read the upload tooltip on application day.

Use this government id photo specs comparison table to pick a preset before editing, not after a rejection forces rework.

Annual rule tracking — how to passport photo rules changed 2025 — flags validator drift that static dimension cells may not capture.

Applicants often prepare one "government photo" and attach it to PAN, passport, and Aadhaar forms sequentially. Validators read different pixel pairs from the same thumbnail. The government id photo specs comparison table exists to stop that cross-upload pattern before the first failure.

Government upload validators read pixel width, height, kilobyte size, and format from the file header before any human reviewer sees your face. That mechanical gate means editing workflow order matters as much as capture quality.

Portal help text on the live upload screen overrides generic blog ranges when the two disagree. Read the screen you will actually use before final compression.

Keep an uncompressed cropped master between export attempts so KB fixes do not force full re-crop from the original phone capture.

Transfer exports via cable or cloud with a Properties check at destination — messaging apps re-compress in transit.

Zoom to one hundred percent on all four corners before upload. Thumbnails hide background tint and compression softness.

Indian passport digital upload pairs 630×810 pixels with 300 DPI metadata for 35×45 mm print alignment.

Face height roughly seventy percent of frame height keeps chin and crown inside bands PSK reviewers expect.

Rename each corrected export before retry when a portal cached a failed filename in the same browser session.

Baseline JPG export avoids alpha-channel surprises that PNG and some WebP files carry into upload parsers.

Each lossy save stacks compression artifacts — work from one master and export fresh copies for every adjustment pass.

Official notification PDFs lag live portal validators — measure the file you attach, not the screenshot from last cycle.

Quick reference

Primary Indian government ID and exam photograph specifications at a glance. UNVERIFIED — confirm on your live portal before upload.

How to read the government id photo specs comparison table

Start with shape column. Square exports fail rectangular portals and vice versa even when the face looks acceptable. DPI column matters when pixels look correct but metadata reads 72 — many Indian validators reject on tag alone.

KB column shows typical bands, not guarantees. A 2026 upload may reject a 2025-compliant KB at identical pixels when the portal tightens compression ceiling.

When two rows share pixels — passport and Aadhaar update — background and recency rules may still differ. Matching dimensions is necessary, not sufficient.

Spec stability in print does not mean validator stability online; KB ceilings move more often than millimetre dimensions.

Passport row: the rectangular anchor spec

Indian passport digital specification pairs 35×45 mm print with 630×810 px export at 300 DPI. Face height roughly seventy percent of frame. White background, neutral expression, both eyes open.

Passport Seva online upload and many PSK counter digital resubmissions use this row. Generic "passport preset" tools that output 600×800 or square crops fail automated dimension checks.

Print sheet layout for counter visits is separate from upload pixels — measure the JPG, not the paper, when debugging rejections.

PAN rows: two operators, two squares

PAN is the most common cross-operator mistake in any government id photo specs comparison table. NSDL and UTIITSL validators are not interchangeable.

Submitting 640×640 to NSDL fails immediately. Submitting 213×213 to UTIITSL fails equally fast. Upscaling between operator sizes without fresh capture blurs detail.

Passport rectangles never pass PAN upload without square re-crop centred on face from high-resolution source.

Aadhaar row: enrolment vs update

Enrolment centre capture uses operator equipment — no pre-export row applies. Update flows that accept JPG often align with passport rectangle in the government id photo specs comparison table.

UIDAI emphasizes visible face, plain background, and biometric match after upload. Infant enrolment may allow parent-assisted composition — see how to baby passport photo india for practical infant framing techniques that also help centre visits.

Driving licence and state RTO variation

State transport portals publish independent photograph cells — some mirror passport 35×45 mm, others specify 35×35 mm square or custom pixel counts. The government id photo specs comparison table cannot replace your state RTO tooltip.

Signature uploads on DL forms add a second spec row — photograph pass plus signature reject is common when only the portrait was converted.

Exam photograph rows vs passport

SSC, UPSC, IBPS, and railway notifications specify pixel bands distinct from passport — often lower minimum widths or stricter 20 KB exact ceilings. Using passport export without re-compression fails exam upload while passing passport.

Postcard-size and slate-name-date requirements on defence and Agniveer flows add composition rules beyond pixels — not covered by dimension columns alone.

Visa and OCI rows for Indian applicants

US visa DS-160 uses 2×2 inch square — different from Indian passport rectangle. UK and Schengen often use 35×45 mm similar to passport but KB and background sampling differ by consular system.

OCI photograph requirements follow MHA sheets — do not assume passport JPG passes OCI portal without reading active upload tooltip.

Using one source photo across multiple table rows

Start from highest-resolution portrait capture once. Export separate files per row: passport_630x810.jpg, pan_nsdl_213.jpg, pan_uti_640.jpg, visa_us_600.jpg. Never chain lossy saves between rows.

When two rows share dimensions, still verify KB independently — passport at 45 KB may fail SSC at 20 KB ceiling without re-compression from the same cropped master.

When a static comparison table is not enough

Portal tooltips override blog tables. PDF notification version dates lag live validators. If upload fails after matching a row, log width, height, DPI, KB, format, and exact error text, then compare to on-screen help.

Shared rejection patterns for rectangular uploads appear in passport photo rejected passport seva (31) — useful when row-matched file still fails.

Common mistakes when using comparison tables

• Picking one "government size" preset in apps. Presets without operator or document label fail silently.

• Ignoring shape column. Square vs rectangle is the fastest reject path.

• Reusing compressed exam file for passport. Quality may be too low after aggressive 20 KB pass.

• Trusting DPI from old studio CD. Metadata often missing or 72 DPI on correct pixels.

• Mixing 2025 notification with 2026 portal. Re-read active form KB line.

FAQ

Why do PAN and passport specs differ in the government id photo specs comparison table? PAN operators validate square pixels at operator-specific sizes; passport uses 35×45 mm rectangle at 630×810 px — different shape and validator.

Can one JPG satisfy every row in the table? No — you need separate exports per shape and operator; some rows share pixels but differ in KB ceilings.

Which row should I use for Aadhaar online update? When upload is offered, start with passport rectangle row and confirm on UIDAI partner tooltip.

Are exam specs the same as passport? Often similar mm size but different pixel bands and KB strictness — always read the exam notification row.

Does DPI matter if pixels are correct? Yes for PAN UTIITSL at 600 DPI and several government parsers that read metadata separately from pixel count.

What is the most reused wrong export? Passport 630×810 submitted to PAN square portal — shape reject before any face review.

How often should I refresh this comparison? On each new application — KB and validator drift faster than printed mm dimensions.

Do driving licence specs match passport nationwide? No — state RTO portals vary; verify your state row on application day.

Where do US visa specs fit? 2×2 inch square row — separate export from Indian passport rectangle.

What format appears in every row? JPG baseline for uploads — PNG and HEIC commonly fail government parsers.

Fix it now

Pick your document row from the table, export that exact shape and pixel pair from a high-resolution source, measure KB on disk, then upload — do not reuse another row's file.

The government id photo specs comparison table only works when you match shape first, pixels second, KB third — one master capture, separate named exports per portal.